PDF GRADUATE STUDIES REGULATION - Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

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GRADUATE STUDIES REGULATION

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

Centre for Graduate Studies Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

94300 Kota Samarahan Sarawak, Malaysia

Website: http://www.unimas.my

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The Senate as the highest academic body of the University, subject to its power, has the right to change/amend any of these rules from time to time when circumstances warrant it . The amendment will be effective from the date it is confirmed by the Senate. All amendments will be binding to current and prospective students unless stated differently by the Senate.

These rules bind all students registered under the University, including local and international students, international students who are involved in student exchange programmes and students of the Cross-campus Programmes from other Public Universities or Private Universities.

Where the jurisdiction of implementation of these regulation is not specifically stated, it is then in the authority of the Senate. Authority of the Dean is stated specifically in certain clauses of these regulation.

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

These regulation are named the UNIMAS Graduate Studies Regulation (Research). In these regulation (unless stated otherwise):

"Academic Offences" is any violation of the Academic Regulation of Graduate Studies (Research) and the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), 1971 (pindaan 2012) and the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999.

"Academic Punishment" is a form of disciplinary action taken against students by the Jawatankuasa Tatatertib Pelajar (Students Disciplinary Committee) for academic offenses.

"Academic Session" is the period of study which includes two (2) semesters and one (1) intersession and known as the University Academic Year.

"Active Students" are research students who have been recommended to proceed with their research via a progress report and have completed semester student registration.

"Candidates" refers to applicants who have been offered a place in a programme but who have yet to register as students.

"Dean/Director" is the head of the Faculty/Institute/Centre appointed by the Vice Chancellor.

“Degree” means the award conferred by the University to those who have fulfilled the requirements of the Master or the Doctor of Philosophy programme.

"Deferment of Studies" is a temporary period when students are allowed to delay or to not continue the programme.

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"Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International)" is the main University officer who assists the Vice Chancellor in academic affairs.

“Disciplinary Offences” are offences under the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999.

“Examination Period” is a period that starts when students submit their thesis to the Faculty for review.

“Examiner” is a person appointed by the Faculty Graduate Committee to examine the student’s thesis submitted for examination.

“External Examiner” refers to a qualified individual who is not a staff of the University but appointed by Centre for Graduate Studies as proposed by the Faculty to examine the thesis submitted by a student for a specified degree.

"Faculty" is the academic entity that offers academic programmes in the university, including any university centres or institutes that offer academic programmes.

"Faculty Graduate Committee" refers to a committee set up at the Faculty level and chaired by the Dean/Director of the Faculty to deal with matters

concerning graduate studies at the Faculty.

"Fees" are payment set by the University for a particular purpose.

“Full-time Students” are active students who are required to be present at the university as decided by their respective Faculty according to the stipulated rules and regulation of their respective Faculties, and who have to complete the programme within the specified period of time.

"Head of Department" is the academic officer appointed by the Vice Chancellor to head a department in the Faculty.

"Inactive Students" are students who have not completed their student registration for the semester

"Inter-session" is a study period provided during the semester holiday at the end of the academic year.

“Internal Examiner” is an academic staff of the University proposed by the Faculty and appointed by Centre for Graduate Studies to examine the thesis submitted by a student for a specific degree.

“Maintenance Fee” is the annual fee allowed to be paid to replace the tuition fee if the student has submitted a first draft of his/her thesis and has completed the minimum period of study. This fee shall be payable until the student is eligible to graduate.

“Part-time Students” are active students who are enrolled under the part- time mode

"Plagiarism" is the act of using the idea, word, or work of another person without acknowledging its source

“Postponement” is a temporary period when successful candidates are allowed to delay their registrations.

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"Programme" refers to the Master by Research or the Doctor of Philosophy by Research, either as full-time or part-time programmes offered by the

Faculty.

“Recurring Fee” is the annual fee paid by students that covers their insurance, medical and on-campus transportation services.

"Regulation" are regulation governing the graduate studies.

"Semester" is a period of study determined by the Senate for teaching and learning activities.

"Senate" is the highest academic governing body of the University and is responsible for the general regulation for teaching, research and examination, and for decisions on awarding of degrees, diplomas, certificates and other academic distinctions.

"Students Disciplinary Committee" is a committee chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor and comprises Deans of Faculty. This Committee discusses cases of students who violate the academic rules/regulation and/or the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), 1971 (pindaan 2012) and/or the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999.

"Student Registration" is the process in which students register for a programme in a semester and pay tuition fees within a determined time.

"Student" is a person who has completed student registration at the University.

“Supervisor(s)” refers to a person(s) or a committee, nominated by the Faculty and appointed by Centre for Graduate Studies, to supervise research conducted by students. They can be categorised as supervisor, co-supervisor, and panel of supervisors of the students.

“Thesis” refers to the documentation of the original research prepared and submitted by the student for the award of the degree for either the Doctoral programme by research or the Master programme by research.

“Centre for Graduate Studies” is a centre established in UNIMAS to coordinate all graduate academic activities at UNIMAS.

“University Graduate Committee” refers to the Graduate Committee chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) and

comprises Deans/Directors of the Faculties which offer graduate programmes.

"University" is the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

“Viva voce” refers to an oral defense of the Thesis for the Programme

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1. APPLICATION

1.1 The Application Process :

1.1.1 Prospective candidates may apply at any time to the Centre for Graduate Studies.

1.1.2 Applications must be made via an on-line application system available at the Centre for Graduate Studies Website.

1.2 Offer Letter

An offer letter for graduate studies in UNIMAS issued by Centre for Graduate Studies is valid for one (1) year from the date of the offer letter.

Candidates may re-apply if they fail to register within the stipulated one (1) year.

2. ACADEMIC SESSION

The University Academic Session is divided into two (2) semesters of seventeen (17) weeks per semester and an intersession of eight (8) weeks.

3. REGISTRATION

3.1 Initial registration of candidates shall be done online via the Centre for Graduate Studies website within the stipulated period. Candidates are to be physically present and produce original documents for verification during the initial registration.

3.2 Candidates must register according to the mode of study stated in the Graduate studies offer letter.

3.3 A student has to maintain an Active Student status for every semester until the student has completed his/her thesis correction and confirmed by the Faculty.

3.4 A student who fails to pay semester fees within the specified period will be charged a late payment fee. If a student fails to pay by the end of this period, he/she will be suspended (refer to Article 5.1) from his/her studies for that semester.

3.5 Request for postponement of registration for successful candidates within the validity of the offer letter (refer to Article 1.2), should be made to the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies at least two (2) weeks before the beginning of the intake stated in the offer letter.

4. DEFERMENT OF STUDIES

4.1 An active student may defer his/her registration with approval from the Centre for Graduate Studies.

4.2 Application for deferment of studies must be made within a period of four (4) weeks at the beginning of a semester.

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4.3 Application to defer after this period will not be considered except due to health reason. In such case, the deferment period is not considered in the maximum period of study.

4.4 A student who is unhealthy for a long period of time will be given deferment of study for a semester by the Dean of UNIMAS Graduate

School. In such cases, certification from a registered Medical practioner is required. Certification which is not from a registered Medical practioner can be considered in certain cases only after the students have gone

through treatment from a registered Medical Practitioner. In the case of mental problems, approval to register again is subject to the certification from the registered Medical practioner.

4.5 A student who faces problems other than those stated in Article 4.4 can be given deferment of study for a semester subject to the approval by the Centre for Graduate Studies. The duration of deferment will be taken into account in the student’s maximum duration of study.

4.6 Students who have been given deferment of study will lost their status as University students during the deferment period, and therefore will not be allowed to use University facilities. However, he/she may continue having informal consultations with his/her supervisor(s) about the programme.

4.7 Deferment shall be for not more than one (1) academic session during their entire study period.

4.8 Students who have been approved for deferment of their study but have made tuition fee payment, the tuition fee will be brought to the next semester.

5. SUSPENSION OF STUDY

5.1 Inactive Students who do not apply for deferment of studies before the end of the Late Registration Period of the semester will be suspended from his/her studies in that semester. The student must activate their student status in the following semester. Students who fail to register by the end of the Late Registration Period of the following semester and fail to apply for deferment of studies for that semester will be terminated.

5.2 The duration of the suspension of studies is taken into account in the overall calculation of the student’s maximum duration of study.

6. FEES

6.1 Fees are payable on a semester basis. Students must pay the stipulated tuition fees in full to maintain an active student status.

6.2 Examination fees are excluded in the tuition fees and any fees for re- examination shall be paid separately.

6.3 Students who change their mode of study shall pay the difference in fees for the mode of study for that semester. Fees for the new mode of study are to be settled once the change of mode has been confirmed by the Centre for Graduate Studies.

6.4 All students are required to pay their full fees until they have completed the first draft of their thesis. They may then apply to pay the Maintenance Fee.

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6.5 Upon approval, they shall proceed to pay the Maintenance Fee of RM300 for each academic year. The Recurring Fee will still be charged to students who have been approved to pay their Maintenance Fee.

6.6 The University has the right to impose any additional fees or payments for services rendered and any monies owing to the university.

7. DURATION AND MODE OF STUDY 7.1 Master Programmes

7.1.1 The duration for full-time study is two (2) years to a maximum of four (4) years.

7.1.2 The duration for part-time study is three (3) years to a maximum of six (6) years.

7.2 PhD Programmes

7.2.1 The duration for full-time study is three (3) years to a maximum of six (6) years.

7.2.2 The duration for part-time study is four (4) years to a maximum of eight (8) years.

7.3 The Senate may grant an exemption for excellent students who can graduate in a lesser time.

7.4 The candidature of a student who has exceeded their maximum period of studies will be terminated without given any notice.

8. CHANGE OF MODE OF STUDY

8.1 Local students who registered for graduate degrees by research are permitted to change their mode of study from full time to part time and vice versa only ONCE during their entire period of study.

8.2 This is permitted at any time during the minimum period of study.

The remaining period of study upon this change will depend on the current study mode.

9. CONVERSION FROM MASTER TO PhD

9.1 Students who registered for a Master degree by research may apply to convert their degree to a Doctoral degree. Application should be made within the first twelve (12) months after the initial date of registration into a Master programme to Centre for Graduate Studies.

9.2 A guideline for approval of conversion to PhD Programme for Master by Research Students is attached in Appendix A.

Graduate Studies Regulation (Research) 7

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10. THESIS

10.1 The pre-requisites for a thesis to be submitted for examination are:

10.1.1 The student has undergone a proposal defense evaluated by Faculty within the first: six (6) months for Master program and twelve (12) months for PhD program. In cases of repeat, the student should do the defence within an additional of three (3) months of the allowable timeframe stated above.

10.1.2 The student has undergone and passed a Research Methodology course.

10.1.3 The student’s thesis has been confirmed by the supervisor and approved by the Dean of Faculty of its readiness for examination.

10.2 A student shall submit a thesis (hardcopy and softcopy) to Centre for Graduate Studies, which must be his/her original work (with a proof of originality) and for which he/she has not received recognition from any other University.

10.3 The thesis must be written in English or Bahasa Malaysia and be preceded by an abstract and its translation in Bahasa Malaysia or English.

11. SUPERVISION

11.1 A student undertaking research and thesis preparation will be guided by a

main supervisor and if necessary will be co-supervised by one or more cosupervisors/supervisory panel.

11.2 It is the responsibility of the student to report regularly to his/her Supervisor(s) on the progress of his/her research and thesis.

11.3 A change of supervisor(s):

11.3.1 The Faculty Graduate Committee may, at any time, recommend to the Centre for Graduate Studies the appointment of a new Supervisor(s).

11.3.2 A student may apply to be assigned to a new Supervisor. The application should be forwarded through the Dean of the respective Faculty to the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies.

11.3.3 Supervisor(s) who do not wish to continue with their supervision, will have to inform in writing of their intention to the Faculty. This is allowed for one time only per student and be done within the first year of student’s candidature.

11.3.4 The Faculty Graduate Committee must inform the Centre for Graduate Studies in writing of any decision made on the replacement of Supervisor(s) within the same semester.

11.4 The Faculty Graduate Committee has the responsibility to ensure that adequate supervision of research students has been carried-out by their respective Supervisor(s).

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12. EXAMINATION

12.1 For Master studies by research, the examination shall consist of:

12.1.1 A thesis which will be examined by one (1) internal and one (1) external examiner.

12.1.2 A Viva voce which is compulsory, to defend the thesis.

12.2 For Doctoral studies, the assessment shall consist of:

12.2.1 A thesis which will be examined by one (1) internal and two (2) external examiners or otherwise determined by the Senate.

12.2.2 A Viva voce which is compulsory, to defend the thesis.

12.3 The external examiners are nominated by the Faculty Graduate Committee

and will be approved by the University’s External Examiners Selection Committee. Both internal and external examiners recommended by the Faculty, will be appointed by Centre for Graduate Studies.

12.4 After the Viva voce, the thesis must be corrected by the student, submitted to

the Faculty Graduate Committee, confirmed by the internal examiner, and approved by the Faculty Graduate Committee within the correction period decided by the Viva voce Committee.

12.5 During this correction period, the student is given the status “Correcting Thesis”. The maximum period of candidature is automatically re-set to follow the correction period and therefore student will be terminated if he/she has gone beyond this period (refer Article 7.4).

12.6 Once Centre for Graduate Studies received the confirmation from the Faculty that the correction has been done accordingly, the student’s status is changed to “Awaiting Senate Approval” and will no longer be required to remain active.

12.7 The student shall be deemed to fail his/her Master/PhD degree if the corrected thesis is found to be unsatisfactory by the internal examiner or the Faculty Graduate Committee.

12.8 The results of the examination shall be reported by the Centre for Graduate Studies to the University Graduate Committee which will make recommendations to Senate for approval.

12.9 Students may appeal on the results of their examination by writing to the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies.

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13. CONFERMENT OF DEGREE

13.1 A student must fulfil the following requirements to graduate and to be awarded with a Master’s/PhD degree:

13.1.1 Meet all the requirements of the Academic Regulation of the said degree including requirement to publish in index journal. **;

Phd - publish minimum two (2) papers in index journal. **

Masters - publish minimum one (1) papers in index journal. **

** Science and Technology and Medicine , minimum index by SCOPUS.

** Social Science and Economic , minimum index by ERA.

** Arts and Humanities , minimum index by Google Scholar.

** Effective for intake February 2016.

Senate Meeting bil 01/2016 - 147 on 28^th January 2016.

13.1.2 Recommended to be awarded with the said degree by Centre for Graduate Studies and endorsed by the Senate;

13.1.3 Fulfill other terms and conditions set by the Senate.

13.2 The application to reprint a replacement certificate or academic transcript can be made formally to the Registrar of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak by providing:

13.2.1 a written application

13.2.2 a payment receipt/money order according to the rate set by the university

14. ACADEMIC ETHICS

14.1 Disciplinary action will be taken upon students who are found guilty of copying or using others’ work without acknowledgement (plagiarism) in their thesis.

14.2 Students who violate the University regulation and are found guilty by the

Students Disciplinary Committee (Academic) can be punished according to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), 1971 (pindaan 2012) as stated and the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999.

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15. TERMINATION OF STUDIES

15.1 A student may be terminated from his/her studies at any time by the University in the event that the student:

15.1.1 have exceeded the maximum duration of study.

15.1.2 failed to re-register within the specified period after being given suspension status in the previous semester, and;

15.1.3 showing poor academic performance, attendance and overall attitude.

15.1.4 deemed unfit for further studies in the University, as certified by a Medical Board selected by the University.

15.1.5 is found guilty due to disciplinary action as determined by the Students Disciplinary Committee.

15.2 A student has the right to appeal in writing to the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies [except for disciplinary offences (refer to 15.1.5 above and to be read with the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Discipline of Students) Rules 1999) in which

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the appeal should be made to the Vice Chancellor] against decisions made by the University related to his/her termination of study within one (1) month from the termination notice.

15.3 Each appeal must be submitted together with payment receipt of RM50

15.4 A student whose appeal is approved will be imposed a fine of RM250 to reactivate his/her candidature

15.5 No refund of fees will be given to student who has been terminated from his/her studies.

16. CHANGE OF STUDY PROGRAMME

16.1 Student who has confirmed registration in a Faculty is allowed to change the study programme under the following conditions:

16.1.1 The student has completed one (1) semester of study;

16.1.2 Subject to availability of Supervisor(s) in the programme applied for; and

16.1.3 The student has received approval from both the original programme and the new programme.

16.2 Permission to change programmes within the same Faculty and determination of which semester to begin the new programme are subject to the approval of the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies.  

16.3 Application for change of study programme can be made no later than the end of the first (1st) week in a semester. Application made after the first (1st) week will only be considered for the following semester.

16.4 On approval of the Faculty, students may apply for change of study programme from the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies.

17. CHANGE OF FACULTY

17.1 A student who has confirmed registration in a Faculty is allowed to change Faculty under the following conditions:

17.1.1 The student has completed one (1) semester of study;

17.1.2 Subject to availability of Supervisor(s) in the Faculty applied for;

and

17.1.3 The student has received approval from both the original Faculty and the new Faculty.

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18. CHANGE OF UNIVERSITY

18.1 Students who have confirmed registration in a specific programme at

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak are NOT ALLOWED to change programme to other universities. If the students wish to register in other universities, they will have to make an application to withdraw from the current programme (refer Article 19.0)

19. WITHDRAWAL FROM PROGRAMME OF STUDY

19.1 A student can withdraw from a study programme by applying in writing to the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies. Centre for Graduate Studies will issue a letter of approval for the withdrawal.

20. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENTS

20.1 Students are fully responsible for the completeness of their registration and the accuracy of payment of all fees.

20.2 Students shall state at the time of registration their full addresses (home, office, correspondence and e-mail) and telephone numbers where they can easily be contacted. The Faculty and the Centre for Graduate Studies must be informed of any change of correspondence address within fourteen (14) days of the change.

20.3 Students shall inform the Centre for Graduate Studies of any Awards, Grants or Scholarships that are offered to them.

20.4 Students who fail to conform to any of the University regulation, or who are responsible for any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct in the course of their academic pursuits, are subjected to administrative action and/or disciplinary penalties, which may include expulsion from the University.

20.5 Students registered under the Master or PhD by research programmes are required to submit their progress report every semester to the Centre for Graduate Studies with prior recommendation from their Supervisor(s) and the Dean of their respective Faculty.

20.6 It is the responsibility of the students to discuss their own research strategies with their supervisor(s).

20.7 Students are to remain active by paying their fees every semester until they are eligible to graduate.

20.8 Where applicable, all students are required to retain their raw data and thesis work for five (5) years after the conferment of their degrees by the Senate.

20.9 Students shall not publish their research work without the supervisor’s knowledge/consent.

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21. CODE OF PRACTICE FOR RESEARCH STUDIES 21.1 Appointment of Supervisor(s)

21.1.1 Main supervisors shall be nominated by the Faculty Graduate Committee and be appointed by the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies, and shall be persons competent and relevant to the candidate’s field of studies.

21.1.2 The main supervisor must have a minimum qualification equivalent to the degree that is taken by the student and have at least two (2) years of experience:

21.1.2.1 in teaching or research; or 21.1.2.2 as Supervisor

21.1.3 Should the main supervisor does not have the necessary qualifications, additional criteria include wide research experience and supervision subject to the approval of the Senate.

21.1.4 A Supervisory Panel shall be nominated by the Faculty Graduate Committee and be appointed by the Dean of Centre for Graduate Studies if deemed necessary.

21.2 Responsibilities of Supervisor(s)

21.2.1 Supervisor(s), together with the Faculty Graduate Committee have the responsibility of maintaining academic standards on the research, data interpretation and reporting of the research conducted by their students.

21.2.2 Supervisor(s) should assist the student to plan their time and draw up a research schedule.

21.2.3 There should be regular meetings between the student and the Supervisor(s) and the response on written work should be given within one month.

21.2.4 Supervisor(s) should advise whether the student’s research will achieve its objectives in the recommended period and whether any remedial measures should be taken.

21.2.5 Supervisor(s) should ensure that the student attends the compulsory Research Methodology course and advise the student to take relevant courses offered by the Faculty or University.

21.2.6 Supervisor(s) and the Faculty should be responsible for introducing the student to the wider research community within UNIMAS and other institutions of higher learning.

21.2.7 Supervisor(s) should advise the student on the publication of their work where appropriate.

21.2.8 Supervisor(s) should report to the Faculty Graduate Committee if the student is not making satisfactory progress.

24.2.9 An acting supervisor shall be appointed by the Faculty Graduate Committee on the recommendation of a supervisor when he/she is expected to be absent from the University for a period exceeding

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three (3) months. In the case where a supervisor is unable to continue supervision, a new supervisor shall be nominated by the Faculty Graduate Committee and appointed by the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies.

21.2.10 Supervisor(s) shall confirm the readiness of the thesis before submission for examination.

21.2.11 Supervisor(s) should nominate external and internal examiners for the student’s Viva voce. The nominations are subject to the decision of the Faculty Graduate Committee and the approval of the Centre for Graduate Studies.

21.3 Appointment of Internal and External Examiners

21.3.1 Internal and external examiners shall be nominated by the Faculty Graduate Committee, be appointed by the Dean of the Centre for Graduate Studies and shall be persons competent in and relevant to the student’s field of study.

21.3.2 Examiners must have a minimum qualification of no less than the main supervisor. Where an examiner is without the required qualification, there must be sufficient experience in relevant fields.

21.3.3 An external examiners should be a member of an established academic/research institution or is retired but is still actively involved in research.

21.3.4 External examiners shall submit their current Curriculum Vitae to the Faculty Graduate Committee prior to their appointments.

21.4 Responsibilities of the Examiners

21.4.1 The examiners are to examine the theses within the stipulated period (one (1) month for Master and two (2) months for PhD theses) upon acknowledgment of receipt of the theses from Centre for Graduate Studies.

21.4.2 Where the examiners fail to examine the theses and submit their reports after a grace period of thirty (30) days, the Faculty Graduate Committee may consider appointing new examiners.

21.4.3 The examiners shall each submit a written report to the Centre for Graduate Studies in accordance with the Guidelines for the Examination of Thesis.

21.4.4 The examiners shall assist the Chairperson in the writing of the viva voce report.

21.4.5 The agreed corrections with the Viva voce report and any other materials should be given to the student at the end of the Viva voce.

21.4.6 The examiner must ensure that the corrections have been made to the thesis after examination and recommendation during the Viva voce. The corrected thesis must be submitted to Centre for Graduate Studies via the Faculty within a period decided by the

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Viva voce Committee (Refer Article 12.4).

21.4.7 The examiner should not require the student to do more corrections/amendments than what is already decided during the Viva voce.

21.4.8 In cases where the examiners fail to agree on the outcome of the thesis, a third examiner shall be appointed by the Centre for Graduate Studies as recommended by the Faculty Graduate Committee.

21.5 VIVA VOCE

21.5.1 Persons present at the viva voce shall comprise the following:

21.5.1.1. Chairperson;

21.5.1.2. External and Internal Examiners;

21.5.1.3. Student; and

21.5.1.4. Supervisor as observer.

Any other parties interested to attend must request in writing to the Faculty and approved by Centre for Graduate Studies.

Observers are NOT members of the Viva voce committee.

21.5.2 Both internal and external examiners will be invited for the Viva voce of PhD students, whereas for Master students only the internal examiner will be invited. However, depending on their requirements, the Faculty Graduate Committee may suggest the presence of both examiners for the Viva voce.

21.5.3 The Faculty Graduate Committee may nominate a proxy to represent the external examiner should the external examiner be unavailable to attend the Viva voce.

21.5.4 The Chairperson should:

21.5.4.1 be selected from a pool of qualified chairpersons.

21.5.4.2 control the conduct of the examination, ensuring that questions are put fairly and that the student is given adequate opportunity to answer.

21.5.4.3 ensure concise reporting of the Examiners’

recommendations and conclusions of the Viva voce.

21.5.4.4 ensure that the detailed list of corrections to be made to the thesis are agreed upon during the Viva voce.

21.5.4.5 ensure that the period of corrections is agreed by both examiners and is written clearly in the Viva voce report.

21.5.4.6 ensure that the student gets the copies of the examiners’

reports and the Viva voce report immediately after the Viva voce.

21.5.5 The Examiners should:

21.5.5.1 ensure that the student has sufficient understanding and grasp of the subject matter to defend the thesis.

21.5.5.2 confine themselves to evidence arising from the Viva voce only.

21.5.6 Before the Viva voce, the Centre for Graduate Studies shall:

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21.5.6.1 receive the examiners’ reports and theses and retain these until the Viva voce

21.5.6.2 inform the Deputy Dean (Research and Graduate) of the respective Faculty on receipt of these reports, and request a suitable date for the Viva voce

21.5.6.3 obtain the name of the Chairperson and list of attendance for the Viva voce from the Faculty Graduate Committee.

21.5.6.4 provide copies of the relevant documents (examiners’

reports and theses) and venue for the Viva voce

21.5.7 After the Viva voce, the Centre for Graduate Studies is to submit the agreed list of corrections, Chairperson’s and examiners’ reports, together with the theses to the student and carbon copies to the Faculty.

21.5.8 The student must provide a checklist of corrections made to the thesis indicating the page numbers in accordance to the Viva voce report.

21.5.9 If the student fails to satisfy the Examiner(s), the Viva voce Committee shall decide the outcome of the Viva voce either to re- examine without repeating the programme or fail the programme.

22. FACULTY GRADUATE COMMITTEE

22.1 Membership of the Faculty Graduate Committee may include but not limited to:

22.1.1 Dean of the Faculty or Director of the Institute/Centre 22.1.2 Deputy Dean (Research & Postgraduate) of the Faculty

22.1.3 Members (Head of Department and/or experienced senior supervisors) of the Faculty or of the Institute/Centre

22.2 The Faculty Graduate Committee shall have overall responsibility on maintaining graduate academic standard.

22.3 The Faculty Graduate Committee shall nominate:

22.3.1 Supervisor(s)

22.3.2 Viva voce Committee

22.4 The Faculty Graduate Committee shall decide on the award of the relevant prizes and medals based on the results of University examinations, in accordance with the regulation governing the awards.

22.5 The Faculty Graduate Committee shall be responsible in monitoring the student’s progress.

22.6 The Faculty Graduate Committee must ensure that all research students attend the Research Methodology course

22.7 The Faculty Graduate Committee must arrange for a proposal defense for each of their research student.

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23. UNIVERSITY GRADUATE COMMITTEE

23.1 Membership of the University Graduate Committee should include:

23.1.1 The Vice-Chancellor (Statutory).

23.1.2 Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International) as the Chairperson.

23.1.3 Dean of the Faculty or Director of the Institute /Centre.

23.2 The University Graduate Committee seeks to ensure that all powers and duties of the Faculty Graduate Committee are conducted in accordance with the Graduate Studies Regulation set by the Senate.

23.3 The University Graduate Committee will endorse and submit to the Senate the results and thesis report(s) received from the Faculty Graduate Committee.

23.4 The University Graduate Committee will submit recommendations for the award of the degree to the Senate.

24. CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

24.1 The responsibilities of the Centre for Graduate Studies are to:

24.1.1 Confirm the elligibility to register as a student and to notify the Faculty of any subsequent change in this eligibility.

24.1.2 Send one (1) copy of the thesis to be examined by each Examiner.

24.1.3 Arrange the Viva voce session for students.

24.1.4 Assist students on matters relating to immigration requirements and accommodation.

24.1.5 Monitor the employment performance of the students after the completion of their studies at UNIMAS.

24.1.6 Appoint internal and external examiners as recommended by the Faculty.

24.1.7 Ensure that the thesis is examined within three (3) months upon submission to the Centre for Graduate Studies by the Faculty.

25. THESIS SUBMISSION

25.1 The following procedures must be followed when submitting a thesis:

25.1.1 Students should notify in writing the Centre for Graduate Studies at least three (3) months before they intend to submit their theses using the specified notification form.

25.1.2 The notification form is to be submitted together with the confirmation of payment for the Thesis Examination Fee (RM1,000 for Master and RM1,500 for PhD). In case of re- examination, the student must pay this fee again.

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25.1.3 Students must submit one draft copy of the thesis to the Faculty Graduate Committee before submitting the examiners’ copies to ensure that the proper format has been followed and the content of the thesis meets the standard of the degree.

25.1.4 The Faculty Graduate Committee must also ensure that the thesis is the student’s original work for which he/she has not received recognition from any other University.

25.1.5 The Faculty shall nominate a Viva-voce committee for the student one (1) month after the Notice of Submission is received.

25.1.6 Sufficient number of copies of the thesis as requested by the respective Faculty must be submitted to the Faculty Graduate Committee, and upon a written approval, the copies will be sent to Centre for Graduate Studies for examination.

25.2 Following examination and upon corrections of all amendments as recommended by the examiners.

25.3 The student must submit a minimum of five (5) final hard bound copies and a soft copy (pdf format) of the approved thesis to the Centre for Graduate Studies together with the Final Submission form after the endorsement by Senate.

25.4 The student should also fill in the Graduation Form to facilitate in the arrangement for their graduation, convocation and award of their degree.

26. FORMAT OF THE THESIS 26.1 Language and Units

(i) The thesis must be written in either English or Bahasa Malaysia.

The language of the thesis should be as direct and simple, as the subject matter will allow.

(ii) The English Language must be fully British or American style, and not a mixture of both.

(iii) All units of measurement must be in the metric system.

26.2 Typing

(i) Font. All students are to use Times New Roman (font size 12) or

Century Schoolbook (font size 11) in their theses. In certain cases, the use of other font types may be considered upon approval by the Faculty Graduate Committee.

(ii) Spacing. The thesis should by typed on one side of the page. The text

should be double-spaced throughout, including explanatory footnotes, long quotations, appendices, headings and subheadings. However

legends, captions or keys to tables, figures, or plates should be single- spaced.

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(iii) Type Quality. Both copies of the thesis submitted for examination or binding must be printed using a laser printer.

26.3 Margins

The top and bottom margins of all pages should be 3 cm wide, with the right and left-hand page margin should be 2.5cm wide.

26.4 Pagination

(i) Pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis, including pages of figures, tables and appendices. It is advisable that all tables and figures are placed on separate pages and not together with the text.

Pagination begins with the first page of Chapter 1. Preliminary pages (i.e. those preceding Chapter 1) must carry page numbers in small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.). The title page should not be numbered.

(ii) Page numbers should be centered at the bottom of the page and should be at least 10 mm from the margin of the page. Page numbers should appear by themselves and are not to be enclosed in parentheses, hyphens, etc. Each appendix should be identified separately in alphabetical order. The pages of the appendices should also be typed according to the above pagination system.

26.5 Paper

White, good-quality A4 paper (80gm) should be used for all submitted copies of the thesis. Photographic illustrations should be colour-printed on good quality high-resolution paper.

26.6 Students should bear in mind that thesis examiners deplore overlong or verbose thesis, and the onus is on the student to provide a well-organized and well-written thesis. The following ordered list of thesis sections serves as a guide.

(i) Title Page

The thesis title should be as concise as possible, giving an accurate description of the thesis. The standard format of the title must be in title case except for biological nomenclature. The title page should follow closely the example given in Appendix B.

(ii) Copyright (optional)

Under International Law the use of copyright material requires the permission of either the author or the publisher. It is the

responsibility of the student to address this issue and cover any expenses incurred.

(iii) Dedication (optional)

The author may wish to dedicate his/her work to the relevant person(s) tantamount to his/her success in obtaining his/her degree.

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(iv) Acknowledgements/Preface

Most theses will include a brief statement of gratitude in recognition of special assistance (including financial) and guidance given by

individuals, institutions or government bodies.

(v) Abstract

Abstracts in both Bahasa Malaysia and English are mandatory. The English version must include the title in English for a thesis written in Bahasa Malaysia, and vice versa. The abstract is a summary of the entire thesis. It should briefly outline the research problems addressed by the thesis, the findings, and the significance of the work in the context of the field of study. The abstract should not exceed two (2) typewritten double-spaced pages of text consistent with the font style and size used in the main body of the thesis. The font style of the translated abstract should be in Italics.

(vi) Table of Contents

The titles of sections, chapters and their principal subdivisions along with the page numbers on which they appear should be listed in the Table of Contents. Titles should be worded exactly as they appear in the text of the thesis. Theses with many subsections should use a hierarchical numbering system for headings and sub-headings (e.g.

3.0,3.1,3.2 etc.). Such numbering system combined with the judicious use of upper and lower case, indentations and italics should indicate clear relationships between the sections of the thesis.

(vii) Lists of Tables, Figures, Illustrations, Plates and Photographs

These lists consist of the exact titles (including numbering) of all tables, figures and plates that appear in the thesis. All tables, figures and plates should be numbered consecutively throughout the text.

(viii) List of Abbreviations, Symbols, Specialized Nomenclature

This list is optional, depending on the subject of the thesis. All scientific symbols and nomenclature should follow the standard SI- system.

(ix) Main text of the thesis

The main body of the thesis is usually arranged into consecutively numbered chapters or sections. The internal organization of the thesis is the responsibility of the student in consultation with his/her thesis supervisor(s). The organization will partly depend on the field of study, but the onus is on the student to

provide a systematic and well-organized thesis. Overall, the font of the main text should be font 12 with double-spacing.

The thesis will often include the following chapters:

Chapter 1 : Introduction/Literature Review

This should highlight past studies related to the subject of the thesis. The chapter should end with a hypothesis (if applicable) and objectives of the study.

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Chapter 2 : Materials and Methods

All relevant experimental, descriptive, theoretical and analytical techniques used in the research should be outlined, such that the study could be repeated by another researcher. Reference of

methods to other researchers should be made where appropriate.

Chapter 3 : Results

This may be presented as a single chapter, divided into appropriate section, in two or more separate chapters where it includes the

analysis and presentation of data. The results should be interpreted, but extensive reference to other relevant work should not be included.

Chapter 4 : Discussion

This provides a general discussion on the results of the study, stressing the significance and implications of the findings of the research project undertaken.

Chapter 5 : Summary and Conclusions

An optional section which may contain a brief summary of the entire work, including methods, results and major conclusions/recommendations arising from the work. The summary can be written in a single section or in separate numbered section.

It is acceptable for individual chapters to be self-contained,

including their own introduction, methods, results and discussions, as is often the case where individual chapters are being submitted for publication. However, in such theses, a broader introduction to the whole thesis should be included to tie the chapters or sections together and to provide the frame work for the whole thesis.

(x) Literature Citation and Referencing

Any thesis, which makes use of other works, either in direct quotation or by reference, must contain a bibliography listing all of these sources. Only works directly cited or quoted in the text should be included in the bibliography.

UNIMAS follows either the Harvard or the APA System for literature citation and referencing. A soft copy of the Harvard Style of Referencing (2010) is available from the Centre for Graduate Studies upon request.

In the text, the year of publication appears within parentheses after the author’s surname if the latter forms part of a sentence; for example, Chong (1986) or Azis and Harrison (1987) or, where there are more than two authors, Yamakura et al. (1990). If several papers by the same author(s) and from the same year are cited, the letters a, b, c, etc. should be put after the year of publication; for example:

Chazdon and Ibrahim (1988b).

Both the author’s surname and the year of publication appear within parentheses if the author’s surname does not form part of a sentence; for example: (Yakub & Chan, 1989).

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In any particular sentence, if several publications are cited, the

references should be cited in chronological order. However, if several publications of the same year are cited the references should be cited in alphabetical order, with single author taking precedence over joint authors.

Reference from authorless articles should be cited as thus:

(Anonymous, 1998).

Reference from official publications of international bodies/agencies should be written as thus: (WHO, 1984).

At the end of the thesis, all the references cited are listed in alphabetical order. There is no necessity to number the references.

The bibliography should be double-spaced as with the rest of the text with a size 11 font.

(xi) Bibliographic examples (Harvard style):

Reference from journals:

Kalotas, T.M. & Lee, A.R. (1990). A Simple Device to illustrate Angular Momentum Conservation and Instability. American Journal of Physics, 58:80 - 81.

Reference from books:

Conn, E.E., Stumpf, P.K., Bruening, G. & Doi, R.H. (1987). Outlines of Biochemistry, 5^th Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 56-60

Reference from edited books:

Horking, A.D. (1988). Moulds and Yeasts Associated with Foods of Reduced Water Activity: Ecological Interactions. In Food

Preservation by Moisture Control (Seow, C.C., ed.), p.57-72.

London, Elsevier Applied Sci. Publ.

Reference from conference proceedings:

Hassan, M.D. & Norshimah, H. (1996). Designing of Primers for Cloning of Papaya Ringspot Virus Coat Protein Gene. In Proceedings of the 8^th National Biotechnology Seminar (Hasanah, M.G.: Khatijah, M.Y. & Marziah, M.; eds,), pp.172-174.

• Anonymous (authorless) reference:

Anon. (1996). External Trade in Sago Flour and Sago Starch.1985-1995. Agricultural Statistics, Sarawak. Planning Division, Department of Agriculture, Sarawak, Malaysia.

• Publications of international bodies/agencies:

WHO (1984). Environmental Health Criteria 39: Paraquat and Diquat. Geneva. World Health Organization.

• References from internet sources maybe written as they are expressed, e.g. http://www.elsevier.com/

(xii) Appendices (optional)

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which are available at the Centre for Graduate Studies and the Center for Academic and Information Services (CAIS).

LIST OF APPENDICES

No. Title

A Guidelines for Approval of Conversion from Master (Full Time by Research) to Doctoral Programme

B Format for Front Cover of the Thesis

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APPENDIX ‘A’

GUIDELINES FOR APPROVAL OF CONVERSION FROM MASTER (FULL TIME BY RESEARCH) TO DOCTORAL PROGRAMME

Full time students registered in the Master by Research Programmes who wish to convert their study to PhD status should demonstrate good results and may apply to the University Senate with a recommendation from the Faculty Graduate Committee. Approval for

conversion are based on, and not limited to, the following guidelines:

1. Application for conversion should be made within the first twelve (12) months after the initial date of registration into a Master programme. Students may apply by completing an application form, and submit it to the Centre for Graduate Studies to be processed.

2. An application for conversion shall be vetted by the Faculty Graduate Committee before submission to the University Graduate Studies Committee for endorsement, and subsequently to the Senate for approval.

3. The following criteria are used to consider an application for conversion of a Master (by Research) degree to PhD:

3.1 The application is supported by the student’s supervisor(s) or supervisory panel together with a favourable report from an independent assessor.

3.2 The student has demonstrated an exceptional ability in conducting research and has shown excellent results from his/her on-going Master research project.

3.3 The student will be required to present his/her work at “conversion seminar” organised by the said faculty, together with a report on the current research project undertaken for a Master degree in the specified field of study.

3.4 The proposed research project is an expansion of the original Master project and has all the merits of a PhD project. A full research proposal which is in tandem with the requirements of a doctorate degree is also required.

3.5 The proposed PhD programme would be supervised by a suitable supervisor(s) or supervisory panel. The Faculty Graduate Committee can recommend a change of supervisor(s) or supervisory panel if it is deemed to be appropriate.

3.6 The supervisor(s) has access to necessary facilities (laboratory equipment, IT hardware/software, etc.) to ensure that the student would be able to carry out his/her research work within the stipulated period of time.

4. If the conversion is granted, the initial date of registration for the Master degree shall be regarded as the effective commencement date for the PhD candidature.

5. The PhD degree tuition fees are payable effective from the approved semester of conversion.

6. Should the student, under unforeseen circumstances, be unable to perform satisfactorily as stated in the Graduate Studies Regulation and subsequently failed to obtain his/her PhD within the prescribed period, the Faculty Graduate Committee may recommend the award of a Master (MSc) degree, whichever is deemed suitable for this purpose.